Government Shutdown Ends: House Passes Funding Bill, Federal Workers to Return
The House of Representatives has passed a bill to fund the government until Jan. 30, ending the longest government shutdown in history. The bill was approved with a narrow margin, with six Democrats joining Republicans to pass it. President Trump is expected to sign the bill, allowing federal workers to return to work on Thursday. The bill extends last year's spending levels and provides funding for some agencies through September, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The bill also reverses layoffs imposed during the shutdown, provides backpay for federal employees, and includes protections against further layoffs. However, it does not address the central issue of extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Senate Democrats are wary of a pledge to hold a vote on the subsidies in December, as there is no guarantee of lowering costs. The shutdown highlighted the ineffectiveness of using shutdowns to advance policy goals.
Senate Democrats' decision not to fund the government before Oct. 1 was influenced by demands from their political base to be a strong opposition party. Despite the devastating impacts of the shutdown, Republicans did not budge on the subsidies issue. The shutdown left millions of Americans without food aid, pay, and disrupted air travel. The decision to end the shutdown was driven by the guarantee of ending suffering for everyday people.
The end of the shutdown does not address Democrats' core demand on subsidies. Senate Democrats have a month to craft a bill addressing the expiring ACA subsidies to secure a policy victory. Republicans may support an extension with reforms like fraud prevention and income caps. Both parties must address the fact that the government is only funded for a few months, requiring the passage of nine other appropriations bills before the continuing resolution ends.